U.S. Studying Legal Basis For Assisting France In Mali: Panetta

[Purveyor]

Source: Reuters

ROME | Wed Jan 16, 2013 4:46pm EST
(Reuters) - The United States takes the French fight with al Qaeda-affiliated militants in Mali "very seriously" but must evaluate French military needs and the legal basis for U.S. action before providing aid, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Wednesday.

Panetta, speaking to reporters in Rome, said the United States already was providing information to Paris to help French forces in their effort to disrupt the advance of Islamist groups in Mali until the ECOWAS grouping of African nations can put troops on the ground.

"The administration takes this very seriously and they have indeed been reviewing areas where assistance can be provided," said Panetta, who is on a week-long trip to Europe that will likely be his last as defense secretary. "I'm confident that we're going to be able to provide that assistance."

Asked why a decision on the issue was taking so long, Panetta said the U.S. administration wanted to make sure of the kind of assistance Paris needed and "that we have the proper legal authorities to be able to provide that."

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/16/us-mali-rebels-pentagon-idUSBRE90F1IK20130116

[Flashmann]

1. U.S. Studying Legal Basis For Assisting France

I'm not informed enough on the topic to be either pro or con.......But wasn't "assisting France" one of the early steps that led to our becoming embroiled in Viet Nam?.......

[NoOneMan]

2. Breathing is also a similiarity

There is lot of human breathing before almost anything goes amiss.

[Flashmann]

4. Uh....I'm not sure what you're getting at

I certainly wasn't trying suggest anything,subliminally or otherwise.......

[NoOneMan]

6. Well, people like to pick at similarities to 'bad' events

And you can basically say almost anything is similar to something everyone thinks is bad, is some way.

[Flashmann]

8. I see

That isn't where I meant to go.....Unintended inference I guess.......I asked purely for my own curiosity....Nothing more......Nothing less....

*ETA*

I assumed I'd made that distinction by first saying:I'm not informed enough on the topic to be either pro or con"

Sorry for any misunderstanding....

[Purveyor]

3. Yes. We started with military advisors in the very early '50's. eom

[Flashmann]

5. Thanks

That was my recollection too......

*ETA*

AT my age I don't always trust memories from so long ago......Seemed like something I "knew" way back in the 60s,as a kid...

[d06204]

9. Two thumbs up, Flashmann...

you know your history!

[AtheistCrusader]

11. Nailed it.

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB101/index.htm

[Flashmann]

13. Wow

That's very impressive,not to mention thoroughly detailed....Thanks!!....

[AtheistCrusader]

15. Two years later we helped kick over the Iranian government too.

And we can see how well that has worked out for us.

[Flashmann]

16. Yeah

I know that bit of history.....I really need to get myself up to speed on this African situation..I really don't know,right now,what to make of it......

[jberryhill]

12. It was also one of the early steps in the American Revolution

...and WWII.

[Flashmann]

14. Didn't know that,or I'd forgotten if I did

I've only been around since 1953.....

[Alamuti Lotus]

7. Well, French terrorism in Mali is criminal

so assisting them would be.......just fine, and without any serious consequence. Go for it, cowboy.

[TwilightGardener]

10. Well, I guess it's good to hammer that out first.